Exercise

Bass 293 — Ponte

SchemataF major

Corpus id bass-293 · cite this id — it is permanent

What it teaches

The Ponte as a named formula: the first phrase reaches the dominant, the bridge stands on it — six-four, gathering seventh — and the reprise crosses over into home.

The given bass

4/4	bar 1		bar 2		bar 3		bar 4		bar 5		bar 6
Bass	F3		B♭2	C3	C3	C3	F3		B♭2	C3	F3
Figures					6/4	7

The given bass and its figures (F major, 4/4; ⌒ = tied from the previous note)

The model realization

4/4	bar 1	bar 2		bar 3		bar 4	bar 5		bar 6
Soprano	A4	B♭4	G4	A4	G4	F4	F4	E4	F4
Alto	F4	F4	E4	F4	E4	C4	D4	C4	C4
Tenor	C4	D4	C4	C4	B♭3	A3	B♭3	G3	A3
Bass	F3	B♭2	C3	C3	C3	F3	B♭2	C3	F3
Figures				6/4	7

The model realization (F major, 4/4; ⌒ = tied from the previous note)

The Ponte spans the gap between one section and the next: the dominant arrives as an ending, then refuses to be one — the tonic leans on it as a six-four, the seventh gathers in the tenor, and the suspense converts directly into the reprise. Nothing progresses on the bridge; that is what a bridge is for.

At the keyboard

The three upper voices of the model realization fit under one hand. Feel where the bridge is: the phrase arrives on C and simply stays there while the upper voices lean and gather. The reprise on the other side is the same music the bridge was built to reach. Carry it into C major, Bb major.

Voice-leading patterns this exercise drills

Cite this exercise

Gradus Figured-Bass Corpus, bass-293 — Ponte. v1.0. https://gradusmusic.com/figured-bass-corpus/exercise/bass-293

Corpus v1.0 · licensed CC-BY-4.0 · machine-readable at /api/v1/figured-bass/exercises/bass-293

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